Beyond Chris Watts - A dive into familicide: Men who take out their families for shame & money

A dive into the psychological research into familicide. Does the media get it right when reporting on these types of crime? I say, yes, often they do. Shame and fear of being seen as lesser men for losing money or facing charges does seem to be a causal factor in some cases of familicides committed by men against their spouse and children.
Familicide: A Systematic Literature Review
journals.sagep...
Familicide as a Form of Abuse
link.springer....
Domestic/Family Homicide: A Systematic Review of Empirical Evidence
journals.sagep...
Shaping the ‘inexplicable’: A social constructionist analysis of news reporting of familicide
journals.sagep...
Bank Crimes Drove Iowa Man To Slay Family
www.cbsnews.co...
#chriswatts #familicide #psychology
MICHELLE AFTER DARK: Reporting on true crime as it should be.
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#TrueCrime

[@debbiemohekey1509]

I think Chris Watts was a popular case for many reasons, their lives were online with all the photographs and videos, so much that we felt we were getting to know them, as we watched clips of their meeting, wedding, pregnancies, and births of the children and watched those babies reaching their milestones, they presented the all American dream and Chris came across as the easy-going, helpful and involved husband and father, until he got sick of it and suddenly decided he wanted something different. That's the bit people couldn't get their heads around. He seemed so nice and non-violent until he wasn't anymore.

[@terridemaio7334]

His case was All over

[@woodchipper6841]

As Gabby Petito and Ruby Franke.

[@Nous520]

I really think NK was pregnant and that they’d been seeing wax other much longer than 5 weeks think he was feeling the pressure from NK to leave his wife, pressure from Shanann to fix it Pressure from Shanann about his parents Pressure from his parents about Shanann Financial pressure Feeling trapped with a new baby on the way and just didn’t want to be known as the man who left his pregnant wife and kids for another woman. I really think it was fear about what people would think of him plus those pressures, plus the fact that he would have private spiteful thoughts about doing things to Shanann when he was pissed off instead of telling her and setting a boundary. His family were victims of his own spineless cowardice.

[@debbiemohekey1509]

@@Nous520I never thought about NK being pregnant. Thought it was weird she was telling a husband and father who hadn't even left his wife yet that she wanted to be the first to give him a son. For someone trying to get out of a marriage, you'd think more kids would be the last thing he'd want to hear. She was at his trial. How much later was it? She wasn't pregnant. Would she already have had a baby if she was indeed pregnant, or does the time not work out? If she was pregnant that would certainly force him to hurry up and end things one way or another. I don't know if he'd be afraid of what people might think if he divorced a pregnant wife, prob tell everyone what a controlling bitch she was but can see he be too gutless to bring up a divorce. He said they talked about separating but did they really ? Too underhanded to do anything above board.

[@Louby74]

L

[@TheBigIsland-20]

I’m always glad when you use your advanced psychology degree to give us deeper insights into true crime cases. Familicide has always been especially curious to me. Why? Is always my unanswered question 🌴🌺

[@joane.3533]

I agree about Michelle's advanced psychology degree etc. I choose the channels I watch with these "true crime" topics based on professional experience. She is one of my go-to channels! My response to your question of "Why?" is that all of those men had mental issues, either temporary, or long suffering. An emotionally adjusted man just doesn't do that.

[@carmelannebarb2891]

Great video, Michelle,thanks for your expert knowledge and opinions on this topic, very informative and educational content.

[@sonjastanger5858]

Agree

[@all4hisglory510]

Wow. Lots of credentials. I’m glad you came to KZbin. I’ve always enjoyed watching your channel because you don’t get mixed up in all the backstabbing, mean childish, behavior and you never just ramble on. You have always been concise and to the point. Thank you for sharing your wisdom. Hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas 🎄 Happy New Year 2024!!

[@heavymetalrehab]

Interesting that you mentioned how we like our news ect, quickly. My generation is considered the Nintendo generation. In college, I took a class where I did some reading on what happens to people like those that are in that generation. We start to demand more frequent and quicker positive reinforcement. Think about playing a video game and how often the player is "rewarded" with some sort of positive reinforcement. All of this has gotten worse throughout the years. We have everything at our finger tips on our phones. We can order food, clothing, groceries, look up information..the list could go on and on. We want it and we want it now!

[@jeanneharrington4606]

@heavymetalrehab Interesting message, reminds me of Mick Jagger and his “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” And in fact, it’s from a different generation. I suspect f@milicide has existed for many generations in many places around the world. “If you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need”. Important concept in today’s world, which unfortunately is lost on too many of us.

[@flyonthewall8122]

I've been calling the phenomenon "TicTok Brain." I was running across TLDR a lot, so I finally Googled it. As a Boomer, the definition saddened me.

[@emilyflotilla931]

Thanks so much for the deep dive into these cases. One of the worst cases I've heard of is that of Timothy Jones Jr. He tortured his son Natahn by having him exercise to death. He then killed the other 4 and wrapped them in garbage bags and drove with their bodies in the trunk of his Escalade. He drove with them to Mississippi from South Carolina after failed attempts to mutilate them with muriatic acid and dumped them there. His trial was the most gripping, with his babysitter talking of how she tried to protect the children by calling Social Services, and giving them extra food. The poor woman was a wreck on the stand. My heart still goes out to her!

[@jessieholder513]

Yes Timothy Jones case is probably the worst I've heard of. I cried my eyes out watching the witnesses in court. I will never forget that case. The Watts case was horrible but the Jones case was so much worse on so many levels. I still don't understand why he didn't kill himself. He is such an evil man. No tears, nothing during court. Not many people seem to know about the case but it's definitely one of the most horrible cases ever

[@emilyflotilla931]

@jessieholder513 Dear Miss Joy, I had me sobbing. A channel I was watching it with took up a collection at gave her $500 to use however she wanted. The channel owner recognized where she worked, and arranged to give it to her. She was such a kind-hearted woman. And, yes, I'm surprised he didn't do himself in either. Too chicken I guess. I hope he's having a miserable life. The Hart family was a nightmare as well. Thanks, for your reply! Hoping your new year is great!

[@ASMRTingledPink]

You are such an interesting person. I would love to be able to have a conversation with you about all this stuff. I think it would be so fascinating and I know I would learn a lot. I really appreciate all the time and effort you put into everything you do. Thank you!

[@terry672]

Th he picture of the doll on the couch covered up that he sent to Shanann via text to me was premeditating 🖤🖤🖤🕊

[@tracieday8661]

Many of my true crime channels started with the Watts case. I'll always remember it because I lost my husband of 17 years the month before. I was so invested in that case. I feel we still don't know exactly what happened and I believe NK was way more involved than we know as well.

[@ASMRTingledPink]

John List as well. Got away with it for decades. Glad he finally got caught. Five family members. Unbelievable.

[@dawnpereira8882]

Another educated presentation Michelle to inform us who knows little about such.. thank you ❤

[@onlygrands2012]

Good morning Michelle.

[@carmelannebarb2891]

Great video, Michelle,thanks for your expert knowledge and opinions on this topic; very informative and educational.

[@j.c.tratnik7827]

Happy weekend Michelle

[@ParodyPatty]

I was stuck on Watts Island for 2yrs.

[@christinecheeseman]

It still grips me, because I don't understand how he thought he would get away with it, he was a stupid man

[@joane.3533]

Excellent information! I keep thinking that if Chris hadn't met and hooked up with Nicole, this wouldn't have happened....but....if he was happy in his marriage and committed to being with his wife, he wouldn't have put himself in that situation. So he had issues before even meeting Nicole, right?? Look at his reaction when his wife told him she was pregnant with baby 3. He seemed like he was faking his response. I still think there is more involved with Nicole and her role in influencing Chris.

[@paperchaser29]

Although I agree with your son about the over exposure of the Watts case, at the same time, I’ve always thought that there’s some type of inherent difference between CW and many other similar perpetrators, something I just can’t put my finger on. There’s some kind of detachment in him, a lack of understanding of what he’s done even as he methodically makes attempts to explain himself. He’s obviously intelligent based on his vocabulary and the level of literacy in his letters, but I get the impression that if they did brain scans there’d be a portion that just doesn’t light up. Does he have undiagnosed MBD? Whatever it is, I think this plays a part in our fascination with him-even after his guilty plea it’s difficult to imagine the Mr. Hyde side of him. And, as you read through these other cases I realized that it seems more common for a family annihilator to approach the murders from a greater distance: shootings, fires, etc rather than to use their bare hands to murder each individual. I also still wonder about the effect of those doubled up Thrive patches and what other chemicals they might have been combined with.

[@flyonthewall8122]

I also just thought of something else. Watts said he gave Shannan oxycodone...either to take while she was in North Carolina, or afterward. I don't remember, but how & why did he have that in the first place?

[@mol588]

Does anyone believe C.W. first confession, to detective Tammy Lee, in Frederick police station, on 15th August 2018 ?

[@sheelfjohnson]

I wish they would do brain scans on him, because I thought he seemed different than these other family annihilators. He seemed so _normal_ . He didn't have any of that creep factor that Todt had, and he didn't seem abusive or controlling like some of the others. I wish we could learn something that could prevent a case like this in the future.

[@paperchaser29]

@@sheelfjohnsonI agree. I think he mentioned during his in-prison interview that he’d turned down offers at the prison for some kind of testing or therapy. I thought this was also an odd move. What’s he got to lose? I’ll bet many were disappointed with that.

[@debbiemohekey1509]

@@sheelfjohnson Underhanded. Shove a knife in your back while deeply kissing you. Tells his wife he loves her and hints to others his life is hell. I bet he enjoyed playing his mother and sister off against Shannann. He'd probably poison the neighbor's barking dog rather than complain about it barking.IMO

[@Angiebaby-uh8zx]

Think it's was a couple of years ago the same sex couple adopted 4 kids and they drove over a cliff is that famlicide?xx

[@MustardMischief]

Good afternoon everyone 👋

[@kamalot2687]

Great analysis Michelle! Thanks!

[@BamBinAxxO]

So many creators have covered this case but few have the professional qualifications & the credentials you do. You bring an educated, thorough analysis of the case along with your documentaries & presentations that are invaluable to watch & learn from. I've been stranded on Watts Island for 6 years since it happened, & there are so many questions still unanswered. Thank you for your work on this case!

[@catherinehargrave9539]

We have a new familicide case in Breckinridge Colorado today, mother killed her children and is on the run. I was always fascinated with the Fatal Vision case of Jeffrey McDonald, pre-social media but a brilliant book.

[@lindseyhudson1274]

I've watched all your videos several times but that original Watts one I've watched at least 4 times lol. I learn something each time.

[@u.synlig]

Was it the recent Rakesh Kamal familicide (father (57), mother (54), daughter (18); living on borrowed time in a million-dollar home -- foreclosed in 2022 -- on a five-acre estate in New England) that sparked this look-back?

[@downunderwithlove5275]

Difficult to even begin to strategise without meaningful data available ☹️

[@sum1has2]

Michelle is there always an unhealthy degree of real narcissism (in different ways) in these cases? Could the inability to not be or have the best, admit failure or their mistakes the underlying reason that connects the different cases? The bottom line seems to be their egos are always more important than their families, no matter what reasons they tell themselves and the world.

[@joane.3533]

narcissism is a personality disorder

[@user-ms-rs]

Thank you for your videos and all your hard work. I look forward to watching you than any other channel. Have a Happy New Year 🎉

[@onlygrands2012]

I prefer to read the news. When you listen to them they are guiding your emotions. That's harder to do in print.

[@joane.3533]

A good writer does that too. I am sure there are some books you have read that made you cry.

[@thisoldnurse1521]

There is a sad case in Nova Scotia where a mother killed her young teen daughter. This was within the past 15-20 years. I will have to find the names now. Of course it started off with “a missing teen” and the usual peas from the mother (also the father, they were divorced). I took one look at way mother was on TV and I thought she did it. The daughter was under mother’s care, mother just didn’t look like was sincere. Oh the reason : her new boyfriend didn’t want kids

[@terridemaio7334]

Precious Little Girls So HeartBreaking

[@tinaking2348]

Hey Michelle, I feel like it's a perfect time to dive into the videos you've done on CW. I've never went into good, I just went with the cliff notes version and I'm happy I did, I love hearing your thoughts and opinions so much listening to you for almost 3 years now. Thank you for all your hard work 💖🤗 hope you and Kyle, Cassie, Tilly and Noodle have a prosperous new year.

[@brodyrichard263]

I literally own every single book that has ever been written about Chris. I don’t know if I should be ashamed of that or not but I do I even have the original letters from Christopher. 😬

[@Mreffs101]

It's interesting there was no discussion in the papers about kids who kill their entire families. It seems like a financial motivation, meaning financial gains to the killer, is present in many of those cases so maybe it doesn't fit the particular paradigm they were studying?

[@kateg5796]

I love your psychology videos, my absolute favourites 🖤

[@cindyshirreffs2099]

A society of instant gratification

[@reneegott133]

I remember the Sueppel case well. I live 25 min from Iowa city, Iowa. It’s was all everyone talked about for years.

[@KoalaTheBestie]

Thanks, Michelle

[@rztv6931]

🤔👍

[@Angiebaby-uh8zx]

Ive just found the case it was Jennifer and Sarah Hart xx

[@cattoes1609]

NEW CASE - BOLO for Kimberly Singler out if Colorado. She killed her two youngest kids 9yr & 7yr.

[@mandyD]

Chris Watts is a monster, but minor when compared to the women we have seen in court this year. Michelle, is there any literature on these monsters?

[@Nous520]

I’ve always had a feeling of male family annihilators who also kill themselves -as akin to when dogs hide away to do a poo. Like they have a feeling a failure and cannot bear to be the fallen hero in their families eyes as well as in the eyes of others. Then you have the ones who don’t take themselves out like watts, Peterson etc who just want to start again without the post divorce commitment to the ex family.

[@terridemaio7334]

Happy Almost New year

[@Malibusurfsup]

I think Watts had an undiagnosed psychological or personality disorder in combination with financial distress. He felt out of control with Shanaan and his anger and frustration built into a rage He saw his family as holding him back from a debt free life with a childless new mistress. He also thought if he got away with it, he could be a sympathetic chain the community.

[@reneegott133]

I also think the Watts case was such a big case to the world is because we “knew” the family. Shanann was putting her family online in order to do her job as a sales rep and she let us in her daily life. She showed the family cooking, allowed us to birthdays, moving across the country. We all felt that we knew them, they seemed like they had it all including happiness. The affair he was having with Niki was something he never experienced before, her lifestyle was totally different from what he had with Shanann. If I remember right Shanann was his first relationship and they were way over their heads in debt. I believe money, sex and pressure from Niki was what sent him over.

[@elleofmusic]

Patriarchal conditioning convinces men that their worth is tied to how well they can financially provide for their families, while also instilling a sense of ownership over their wives and children, so instead of having any realistic view of "ok, we'll have to give up a lot of luxury, but it's not the end of the world. We still have each other." they are, as you said, humiliated. They feel emasculated, they fear their children will lose respect for them, that their wives will leave them for a more successful man, because they don't realize that their own shallow emotional bond with their family is abnormal. They see them more as markers of their own success at being a man than actual loved ones. So it's easy to convince themselves that destroying it all is still a better option than letting some other man step in and prove himself "better." Of course, this whole line of thinking requires a fair amount of narcissism at the very least, but the societal pressure and condition is pretty universal for men, I'm sure. It sets them up to become like this.

[@katiekane5247]

Toxic masculinity isn't new, hard to tell where it started but certainly media and culture have made it worse 😕 Think of all the sit-coms featuring a clueless dad and his unappreciative family vs the hero depictions of animated/comic books and fairy tales. It's the mirror of Barbie/Sleeping beauty to the "liberated" women who have convinced themselves that having MORE jobs is empowering. Gender roles and expectations are affected as much by media as by familial/generational influence IMO It's been interesting helping raise my grandson as I only had a daughter and no brothers. He's dealing with his first serious gal at 17 and trying to navigate his feelings. Gotta say, I'm impressed with his consideration and respect for her while not totally forgetting his needs. I know kids have been growing up forever but they certainly have more to worry about in this time. We have the information to correct some of the generational trauma we KNOW causes dysfunction, we're just not utilizing it.

[@alicerushton2582]

I knew you were amazing and clever

[@sealofapproval2016]

Unbenounced to most I blame a form of Instant hypnosis (induced surprising easily), be careful ppl as words/phrases can alter ones state of consciousness to be susceptible to unwanted suggestions without your awareness by others, especially by those you trust the most.

[@DannaK247]

I was repulsed by the pride he seemed to take in snuffing out his family to get his crusty piece on the side. His wife was beautiful compaired to his mistress he was determined to have!

[@mindareinetels6047]

😮

[@tomtomboy6471]

Nature continues its course to solve the watts family murders case.

[@kaylfc]

Phillip Austin killed his wife , 2 kids & 2 pet dogs in the UK in 2000 he did attempt to take his life

[@nicolabradshaw280]

Good afternoon beautiful ❤

[@sonjastanger5858]

CW is exactly where he belongs... 🤮NK is as guilty as he... RIP✨️🕊 Shanann Bella,✨️🕊 CeCe✨️🕊 and Nico✨️🕊... prayers 2 the Ruzecks, always 🙏💜🙏💜🙏💜🙏💜✨️🕊🙏🪶

[@devonremy6581]

Testosterone.

[@DAUGHTERoSCOTLAND]

Them were the days Michelle 😊 you educated me in everything to do with Chris Watts 🫶 as you have done with all your cases 🫶 thank you 😊